In Defense of the Castle
by contrite shadow
Summary: A new challenge for the team makes use of Castle's chess knowledge. Original Characters: 1. Cookie aka Cookie Monster -A homeless man; Castle's friend. 2. Clair-Castle's girlfriend. 3. Luther-Clair's dog.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I've had a couple of questions about the character Clair. After consulting my resident fanfic expert I've decided to acknowledge recurring Original Characters in the story summary, then a more detailed description as a prefix to the story, as required. I hope that will suffice.

Original Character:

Cookie (aka Cookie Monster); homeless man living in and around Tompkins Square Park. First referred to in "Castling into it"

Clair Winter (nee Willingham); motorcyclist, process server, Castle's current romantic interest. First appears as a murder suspect in "Castles in the air"

Luther; pit-bull terrier, now Clair's dog, but very loyal to Castle. First appears when Castle rescues him in "The Haunted Castle"

* * *

><p><span>In Defense of the Castle<span>

Wednesday morning Castle receives a generous message from Esposito, "Still at DEFCON 1." So he knows that it's not yet safe to visit the precinct, as Beckett is still very angry over Castle's last prank. He's unconcerned. Beckett will soon calm down and welcome him back. In the meantime he has more than enough to do getting his latest novel through the publishing process. It's slow, tedious work, but it pays well.

After dinner, he's back at work in his office when he gets a call on his cell. It takes him a second to recognize the voice, and he says, "Cookie?"

"Yeah, Castle. Yeah. It's me. I found out who that lady is; the one the lady detective was asking about?"

"Who is she?"

"Betty…dunno her last name. Everyone calls her Mom. She usually stays at the Nazareth shelter; 206 East 4th Street. I asked and they haven't seen her for a while. Want me to ask around some more?"

"No, Cookie. Don't do that. I'll take it from here. Thanks."

"Any time, Castle, any time."

Confused, Castle asks, "Cookie, how did you get this number?"

"The King sold me his phone. Yours was the only number in it."

"You've had my number all this time, and you didn't use it?"

"Well, I didn't have anything to say until now."

Smiling, Castle says, "Well, thanks again Cookie. I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you."

It's after 9pm, so there's probably no one left at homicide. Castle's thumb hesitates over Beckett's name in his cell phonebook, but he decides to give her another night to cool off.

* * *

><p>Next morning Castle dares to return to the precinct, carrying coffees as a peace offering. Beckett is there already, of course. But Ryan and Esposito have not yet arrived. She's busy with paperwork and hasn't spotted him, so he has time to scan for warning signs. There doesn't seem to be any smoke coming out of her ears, so he decides on the direct approach and puts a coffee next to her, saying, "Hey, Beckett. Feeling any better?"<p>

Leaning back, with a sigh, she says, "I was."

Ignoring the jibe, Castle says, "I have something that might help." He shows her the note containing the details and says, "The owner of our thigh bone."

The look of delight on her face, at this scrap of information, shows just how little progress has been made on the case. Pausing only long enough to grab her jacket and her coffee, Beckett says, "Let's go."

The homeless shelter is an unprepossessing red brick building. Castle notices that there are air conditioners on less than a quarter of the windows. Immediately inside the front door is a small reception area. The walls are plastered with notices about services available to anyone living rough. In one corner is a cardboard box containing shopping bags full of food. The bored man behind the counter cheers up on seeing Beckett's badge. They're shown into an office where a soft spoken woman named Agnes is sad to hear police asking after one of her regulars. It seems that Beckett and Castle are just in time for the breakfast rush. Agnes points out a few of Betty's closest friends. Once Beckett is satisfied that she's gathered all the information, they head back to the station.

Ryan and Esposito have been going over the toxicology report and Esposito summarizes, "As suspected, Betty had recently ingested alcohol, though that doesn't explain the large dose of ketamine in her bloodstream." He peers at the report before continuing, "Also present were bergamottin, bergapten and bergaptol." Of course, they have no idea what he's talking about, so he explains, "The drug was delivered in an alcoholic drink containing grapefruit juice and the Korean liquor soju."

So Beckett shares what she and Castle discovered, "Betty was fond of Korean burritos."

Ryan asks, "Do we know how many Korean burrito vendors are in that area?"

Beckett answers, "Just five; all food vans or trucks. Uniformed are already rounding them up."

* * *

><p>It's a while before the Korean burrito vendor roundup is complete. With five angry businessmen and women in custody, Beckett gets Crime Scene investigators to search the vehicles. One truck interior lights up like a Christmas tree under the luminol test. Further tests confirm that copious amounts of human blood had been improperly cleaned from inside the truck. The old man who owns the truck doesn't speak much English. So Beckett enlists the aid of a Korean-speaking detective, Gimhae Kim, from another precinct, for the interview. It doesn't take long and the detective explains, "He said that business has been tough, with all the competition in Manhattan. And, with beef prices soaring, it somehow made perfect sense to change the menu. I'm not sure he even understands how wrong it is. He's clearly insane. Good news is that there appears to have been only one victim."<p>

Beckett says, "Ok. Thanks Kim. We'd probably better keep this quiet, until the Department of Health decides how they want to proceed."

"You got it. Glad I bring my lunch to work. I wonder how many cops have eaten…anyway, as you say, better keep it quiet."

* * *

><p>By the end of the day, all that remains is the paperwork. Feeling a little guilty about how she treated Ryan and Esposito after their participation in Castle's prank, she lets them go home early and says, "I'll see you tomorrow Castle."<p>

After making sure that the guys are out of earshot he says, "So, we're ok?"

Beckett smiles and says, "Yes, Castle. We're ok. It was actually kind of brilliant. How did you persuade the staff at Mr. Broadway to go along with it?"

"I didn't. The delivery truck was a rental. I gave Esposito the keys as we left the station. He only pretended to show the manager a non-existent warrant. Once there, Ryan won the privilege of planting the fake finger. My one concern was that you would let them conduct the search." Smiling, to lessen the blow, he continues, "Thankfully, you're too much of a control freak for that."

Trying not to smile, she says, "I guess that's fair enough." After thinking, she says, "I know that I'm the one who changed the rules, but I think that we'd better not involve anyone else in the future, ok? Or this could get out of hand."

He offers his hand and says, "Deal."

Relieved at his compliance, Beckett shakes his hand and then asks, "So did you go easy on Clair?"

With a grin he says, "Well, I thought of denying her the keys to the Castle." Beckett is again trying not to smile, as he continues, "But that seemed a little _too_ cruel. Instead, she now owns a scary-looking black dog that will never let another man within ten feet of her."

Beckett laughs and says, "Maybe I was the one who got off easy. How on earth did you persuade her to take him?"

"Luther did that. I already knew that she can't resist a guy with a wounded leg. So I just introduced them."

"You're pretty proud of yourself right now, aren't you?"

He shrugs and says, "Well, no plan is perfect. But this week is working out pretty good so far."

* * *

><p>Castle is woken just after 6am by the trill of his cellphone. Barely conscious he answers, "Hmm?"<p>

"Castle; it's Beckett." When he doesn't answer, she says, "Castle? You awake?"

Scrubbing his face with one hand, to clear the cobwebs, he says, "Yeah, I'm awake. Crime scene?"

"I'll send you the details. See you there."

"Ok. I can't promise to be of any use until I've had a coffee, but I'll see you soon."

Waking up properly with a reviving shower, Castle heads to Essex St, buying two coffees on the way. After greeting uniformed officers he's momentarily confused to see that the address is a pawn shop. The team is inside, and he hands a grateful Beckett her coffee, before saying, "I thought your message said this is a restaurant?"

Nodding to a rear door, she says, "Restaurant is through there. The pawn shop front is a gimmick. They've only been open a short time. The stock here is for sale and the owners have plans to make it a working pawn shop soon."

Castle can see that Lanie is examining the body of a young, Caucasian male, partly hidden by the counter and asks, "So, what do we know?"

Looking at her notes, Beckett answers, "Victim is Neil Winston. He was on duty behind the counter around midnight. There's usually a doorman here too. But the killer waited until Winston was alone for a few minutes, before making his move." Nodding at an obvious security camera, she continues, "Apparently the plans for a security system haven't yet been implemented either."

Lanie interrupts to say, "Looks like he was shot twice in the torso and once in the head."

Beckett says, "Mozambique?"

Considering, Lanie says, "Could be. I'll have to let you know later. Either way, it wouldn't have taken long."

"Thanks, Lanie. Call me when you've got something."

"Will do."

After Lanie is gone, Castle has his notebook out when he asks, "Mozambique?"

Ryan answers, "A term for two shots to the torso, followed by a close shot to the head. It pretty much ensures that the victim will die, but doesn't take long. So it's popular as an assassination technique."

Castle writes this down and asks, "So this wasn't a robbery?"

Beckett answers, "Doesn't look like it. The cash register wasn't touched." Showing a few pages of paper, she continues, "Inventory list will tell us if any merchandise is missing."

Looking around, at the secondhand guitars on the wall, and the statuette of a black Elvis inside a display case, Castle says, "Doesn't look like there's much of any real value here."

Nodding, Beckett says, "Still, there doesn't appear to be any other reason for killing Mr. Winston." To Ryan and Esposito she says, "Talk to the doorman. There's an outside chance that his absence from the door wasn't an accident. And get statements from everyone else on duty at the time, just in case." Obviously not looking forward to such a tedious task, she says, "I'll go through the inventory."

Beckett begins systematically checking every item in the store, with the corresponding description on the inventory. Within seconds Castle is completely bored. So he amuses himself with trying to guess what year all the trinkets were manufactured. After a couple of minutes he says, "Beckett?"

"Yeah."

Pointing to a small, black chess piece; a knight, he says, "This doesn't belong here."

Already looking for it in on her list, she asks, "How do you know?"

Gesturing around at the room, he says, "It's all retro; nothing after the '70s. But this piece was handcrafted in Italy no earlier than 2005."

Quite prepared to believe him, Beckett is nevertheless skeptical and asks, "How could you possibly know that?"

"It's from a chess set made for the Ferrari corporation. Every piece is carved from wood and covered in the same carbon fiber used for their car bodies." Gesturing to the knight, he says, "You can see that it looks almost exactly like the Prancing Horse Ferrari logo."

Seeing that he's right, Beckett says, "And you have a set?"

"And I have a set. Gina bought it for me the same year I got the Ferrari."

"Do you know where she bought it?"

Taking out his phone, he says, "I'll ask."

Whilst Castle is on the phone to his ex-wife, Beckett prepares to bag the chess piece for later analysis. In the process, she notices some writing on the base of the piece and copies it in her notebook. Despite Castle's on-again/off-again relationship with Gina, he seems to currently be on good terms with her. Without really listening, Beckett can hear that the conversation is relaxed and continues longer than is necessary. She wonders, yet again, how two wives could have insisted on divorcing him, yet choose to remain in his life. Filing that away with all the other questions she'll never ask him, Beckett focuses on her task.

He's soon finished, and says, "Ferrari's New York City showroom; 55th Street and Park Avenue. She said it cost about fifteen hundred dollars…probably more now, I guess. What were you writing down?"

Beckett shows him her notes, _Nxe4_, and asks, "Mean anything to you?"

"Sure. It's algebraic chess notation for Knight takes pawn on e4."

At the familiar look on Castle's face, Beckett asks, "What are you thinking?"

"That this isn't his first kill. Unless he's terrible at chess, there's just no way the knight would be in a position to take a pawn, before any other pieces are lost." He pauses before adding, "Besides, killing a _pawn_broker? That's not very subtle. I think he's been ignored, until now, and decided to make a desperate bid for attention."

Beckett growls her frustration and says, "God, I hate creative killers." She gives the new evidence to a uniformed officer, with instructions to get it to CSU. And then lets Ryan and Esposito know what's happening. After asking them to check on any crimes with similar MOs, she and Castle head to Park Avenue.

* * *

><p>With the cooperation of the manager, it doesn't take Beckett long to get the list of everyone who's bought the Ferrari chess set from the store. In fact, it takes much longer to get Castle out of the store. He reluctantly leaves when Beckett threatens to go without him, but only after buying a pair of racing-red, suede Ferrari driving shoes.<p>

Back at Homicide, Esposito explains, "We found two recent, unsolved murders involving chess pieces. Both were in Manhattan, but in different precincts. The first vic, Sarah Pikeman, was shot twice in the body and once in the head on her way home from work. No sign of robbery or sexual assault. The chess piece; a black pawn, was found in her hand."

Ryan adds, "The second murder was only a week ago. It was declared a mugging gone wrong. Because the victim, Gordon Knight, has a history of such crimes, had a handgun in his hand and still had his wallet, and woman's purse on him when he was shot. A black knight chess piece was found in his jacket pocket. The captain's already talked to the investigating officers at the other precincts and everything they have on the crimes is on the way."

Beckett says, "Good work." And then adds, "Sounds like his targets are random, despite the method remaining constant."

Castle says, "Not really. _Pikeman_ is another name for a peasant warrior; the cannon fodder of ancient battles. They're believed to be the inspiration for the pawn chess piece."

Beckett catches on and says, "And Gordon _Knight_?"

"Exactly."

Chewing her bottom lip and frowning in concentration, Beckett says to Castle, "So we've got: pawn takes pawn, knight takes knight, and knight takes pawn. Could you work out his strategy from that?"

"Maybe. Though I'll need the other chess notations, and the order in which they were played. I think we can assume the killer is following a famous game, because there would be no point replaying one that we've never heard of. So I should be able to track it down online."

"That'd be great, Castle. Thanks." To the guys, she says, "Soon as the files get here, give Castle the info he needs." Handing them the Ferrari customer list, she says, "In the meantime, we've got twenty four suspects. Start tracking them down for questioning. I'll update the captain."

Once that's done, Beckett starts working on a new murder board. The evidence from the earlier murders soon arrives, and she starts filling in the gaps. Taking the information he needs, Castle commandeers Beckett's computer and gets to work. It's not long before he says, "It's either Frank James Marshall vs Theodor von Sheve, played in Monte Carlo in 1902…unlikely. Or Donald Byrne vs Bobby Fischer, played in New York City in 1956. It is still referred to as The Game of the Century, because Byrne was almost a Grand Master, whilst Fischer was a thirteen year old boy. He not only survived for 41 moves, he won. Also, Fischer played black."

Beckett says, "Sounds like our guy. What's his next move?"

Looking at the screen, Castle says, "Nxc3; knight takes pawn. If it turns out to be Kxh7, then I guessed wrong." Unsure about her response, he hesitates before saying, "You know who might be able to help?"

Knowing that he's talking about FBI agent Jordan Shaw, Beckett says, without rancor, "The captain has already notified the FBI."

Just then Ryan says, "We've got the addresses. Split 'em down the middle?"

At Beckett's nod, he hands her twelve names, keeping the rest for himself and Esposito. Before they leave, Beckett reminds them, "Concealed vests; this guy is dangerous." They nod their compliance and head out. Before leaving with their half of the list, Beckett is looking at the chess site on her computer and asks Castle, "Could you write all that algebra out in plain English for me?"

Hitting _print_, he says, "I can do that on the way, if you don't drive like a maniac."

* * *

><p>Even with Castle's assistance as navigator, they've only been to five addresses around Manhattan before dusk. Three people were home, leaving three alibis to be verified. Two were not in. Castle is reading out the next name and address on the list, when he says, "Ugh! I'm an idiot. Pull over, Beckett."<p>

She does so, saying, "What is it?"

"Hang on a second." He hastily scribbles on the list, and then says, "Look!"

Beckett can see that he's chosen one name _Cherbet, Rojer Massif_, crossed out each letter and beside it has written _Robert James Fischer_. She looks at him in stunned joy and exclaims, "Bobby Fischer! Castle, you're a genius!"

"I think a genius would have spotted it sooner. But I will be occasionally reminding you of what you just said."

"What's the address?"

"1059 Union St, Brooklyn. But hang on while I check it out." After searching on his phone, he says, "Home of the Fischer family when Bobby was very young. I doubt the killer would be stupid enough to actually be living there. So I guess we're finished for the day."

"Maybe not. You said this guy is trying to get attention. I think he could be near that address, waiting for a sign that someone has discovered his game."

"Stakeout?"

"Except that we have no idea who we're looking for."

After giving it some thought, Castle says, "I got nothing."

Beckett has an idea and makes a few phone calls, the last to Ryan and Esposito, telling them where to meet her. And then she enters the traffic saying, "Mr. Cherbet is the name on the lease of a small property at 835 Franklin St, just around the corner from 1059 Union St. Brooklyn ESU will meet us there."

Once everyone is in place, ESU officers cut the padlocks on the roller doors and enter the building. Not wanting to mess with any forensic evidence that might be there, they only stay long enough to ensure everyone's safety. On the way out, the senior officer says, "Looks like we tripped a remote alarm. It's designed to send an alert to a cell phone, and could have been set up months ago."

Disappointed with this news, Beckett nevertheless thanks them for their efforts. And then she snaps on gloves and enters the building. There's not a lot to see. But one glaring piece of evidence is a milk crate on which rests a chess set. A few pieces are spread over the board.

Beckett hasn't even realized Castle has followed her in until he says, "Checkmate." At her questioning look he says, "White…or in this case, red, is in checkmate, and I think it's the end of the Byrne vs Fischer game."

"So, he's playing with us. He only set this up, so he'd know when we were on to him."

Castle shrugs and says, "Looks like it. And he set it up, so that only someone as smart as you would find him. I don't think we're dealing with someone who's likely to make many mistakes."

"No. But I'll get CSU to go over it anyway." She exits the building to call Crime Scene. Suddenly weary, she says, "Nothing more we can do tonight. Why don't you head back with the guys?"

"That's all right. I'll wait."

End of Chapter One

* * *

><p>Another Author's Note: I have a feeling this is going to be a long story. So I've decided to post it as chapters. As always, critiques or questions are welcome.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Original Character:

Matt Blood; ESU officer with NYPD, Beckett's current romantic interest. First appears as a hostage negotiator in "The Castle on the Hill"

Clair Winter (nee Willingham); motorcyclist, process server, Castle's current romantic interest. First appears as a murder suspect in "Castles in the air"

Luther; pit-bull terrier, now Clair's dog, but very loyal to Castle. First appears when Castle rescues him in "The Haunted Castle"

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Two: In Defense of the Castle<span>

Saturday morning, Beckett wakes up early and the current case won't let her get back to sleep. She takes the time to send an apologetic text to Matt, and then heads to the 12th precinct. After going over Lanie's autopsy report, she updates the murder board and tries to make sense of it all. Somehow, she's not even surprised when Castle suddenly appears beside her and hands her a coffee, saying, "I had a feeling that I'd find you here."

"Thanks, Castle. Clair working today?"

"As always. She still hasn't found an assistant. Matt, too?"

"Not exactly."

Surprised, Castle says, "You ditched him to work on a Saturday? Oh, wow. You are in so much trouble."

With a grimace, Beckett says, "Probably. He's working nights. So he'll be asleep by now. I'll see him later. I just couldn't stop thinking about the case…you know Fischer took eleven pieces in that game?"

"Yeah, that occurred to me too. But this guy has no idea who he's dealing with. You'll catch him before the body count gets anywhere near that." He can see that his words offer little comfort and asks, "Something else?"

Hesitating, as if she's reluctant to even say the words, Beckett points to Castle's translation of the game and says, "Fischer took both of Byrne's rooks."

It's enough for Castle to see what she's getting at and he says, with obvious surprise, "You think I'm a target."

Equally relieved and horrified that the words have been spoken aloud, Beckett continues, "He's operating exclusively in Manhattan, when he could clearly play this game all over the city. And why the Ferrari chess set? It has nothing to do with either Byrne or Fischer. Your work with NYPD is a matter of public record, and you're the most famous Castle in New York."

Reluctant to admit her logic is sound, Castle shakes his head and asks, "Why would he want to kill me?"

"Precisely because you're famous, Castle. If he'd started with you, he'd already be famous too." Gesturing to the translation again, she continues, "But I think he's saving you for last."

Finally ready to admit that she may be right, Castle says, "Then you should _definitely_ catch him, before the body count gets to eleven."

"I intend to."

Pushing any concern to the back of his mind, Castle asks, "So, what do we know since yesterday?"

"The killer is using subsonic .22 rounds. They're renowned for accuracy and quiet. So it fits with his MO. Lanie also suggests that another reason for subsonic rounds is that they don't penetrate as far into the target as standard rounds. Rather, they tend to bounce around, especially inside a skull, causing maximum damage. I'd say he's using a suppressed pistol, possibly with a red dot scope. Lanie also found a tiny bit of plastic in one of the wounds. Trace have already confirmed that it's from an oven bag, possibly used to catch the cartridges, which explains how he'd have time to get in and out of the restaurant so quickly."

"Would an oven bag really work?"

Beckett shrugs and says, "Maybe. Certainly, there were no cartridges at any of the crime scenes."

"Any idea of the weapon?"

"Nothing specific. He doesn't want to get caught, so he'll be using any readily available pistol; probably a SIG Mosquito, or an older Ruger, maybe a Beretta. If he has money to spare, he might go for a Colt pistol. Unless we get a cartridge, we're not going to narrow it down."

They silently contemplate the evidence for a while. And then Castle asks, "What happened with the FBI?"

"I've talked to Agent Shaw. She's content to let us handle it for now. I've already copied her on everything we have, and her team will assist from Washington unless it becomes necessary for them to join us here." Knowing that Castle respects Shaw's opinion, she adds, "She agrees that you might be the ultimate target."

At this sobering thought, Castle is quiet for a few seconds, before asking, "Should I get a gun?"

"That's up to you, Castle. But I don't think you're in danger right now." Hoping to alleviate his concern, she smiles and continues, "Except, of course, from me. I still owe you."

His weak smile confirms how worried he is, but he plays along, saying, "I'm not afraid of you."

"We'll see, Castle. We'll see."

His smile is real this time and then he asks, "Do you have a plan for today, or should I just keep you fuelled with caffeine while you stare at the board?"

"No. This isn't helping at all. I was going to check out the other crime scenes; see if I can get a feel for the guy and maybe find something that the original investigators missed."

"Then finish your coffee and let's go."

* * *

><p>On the way to the most recent crime scene, Beckett explains, "Gordon Knight was killed outside the Alexander Hotel on the Upper West Side. His MO was to hover outside places like the Alexander and mug tourists. I guess he picked the wrong victim this time. There's no cameras on the outside of the building, and despite a 24 hour concierge, there were no witnesses. No one even heard the shots. I'm guessing our shooter is very patient and waited for the right opportunity."<p>

"Just how patient?"

"Agent Shaw is working up a profile. She seems to think that he could have been planning this for months, even years."

"And you both think this has something to do with me?" At her nod, he continues, "Then I'd remind you that my birth name is Richard _Alexander_ Rodgers."

Her quick glance at him confirms that she hadn't made that connection. She's silent for a while and unconvincingly says, "Could be a coincidence."

"Like Bobby Fischer's address in Brooklyn, or using a copy of my favorite chess set, or Rojer Massif Cherbet?" Just the idea of such a diabolical killer being obsessed with Castle means the rest of the journey is completed in silence.

Despite spending quite a bit of time at the Alexander Hotel, Beckett receives no new insights. So they proceed to the first crime scene on West 46th St. Standing outside the victim's address, with the file in her hand, Beckett explains, "Sarah Pikeman was murdered almost on her doorstep. Again, no witnesses, useable trace, or cartridges. She worked only a couple of blocks away. Her usual routine was to leave work after 8:30pm, get some cash out of the ATM opposite the theater and stop at O'Flaherty's Ale House for a late dinner and drink or two before heading home alone."

There's not much to see at the scene, so Beckett suggests walking the path Ms. Pikeman would have followed the night she was killed. She's looking through the file for the details when Castle sees an expression on her face that takes him a moment to recognize; fear. It's enough to almost make him afraid too and he asks, with some trepidation, "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, Castle." And she shows him Sarah Pikeman's place of work; The Richard Rodgers Theater.

He laughs, at first. But sobers on seeing that the fear hasn't left her face. Then he realizes what's going on and says, with a grin, "Oh, you're good. You actually had me going for a second there. But it'll take more than a fake crime scene report to fool Richard Castle."

Apparently completely in earnest, Beckett says, "It's not a fake, Castle; I swear…on my mother's grave, I swear."

So Castle has to sit down on the hood of the car for a few seconds before he can speak, and asks, "So, what do we do?"

Cellphone already in her hand, Beckett says, "First we call the captain and Agent Shaw. Then we find the sonofabitch."

* * *

><p>Once the phone calls are made, and Castle has recovered the use of his legs, they walk the route to the theater, with Beckett making notes the entire way. She stops at a few businesses, asking about security camera footage. They've crossed 9th and 8th Avenue before they have any luck; a parking garage with a security camera that may have caught footage of Sarah Pikeman, and hopefully her killer. The manager won't relinquish the video without a warrant, and nothing is stored on the premises anyway. So Beckett makes the call before continuing on their route.<p>

Soon enough Castle can see that the Richard Rodgers Theater actually exists. Seeing his given name, literally in bright lights, would normally nourish his ego, but not today. There's a small parking garage opposite. Unfortunately they don't have a camera facing the street. But Beckett investigates the ATM directly opposite the theater entrance and makes another phone call. After checking out the interior of the theater, and finding out that they don't keep their security footage more than a week, Beckett and Castle walk back to the car. After a while he says, "A pawn could be anyone." At her confused look, he says, "The next victim is a pawn. It just means an expendable piece…or expendable person."

"I suppose so, though he's been pretty creative so far. You're thinking of Alexis?"

"Or Clair, or you, or my mother; anyone could be a target. Tell me I'm wrong."

With reluctance, she agrees, "No, you're not wrong. We don't know enough about this guy to rule out anyone close to you. All we know is that he's definitely obsessed with you."

"I can get Mark to resume his duties as bodyguard for Alexis. But my chances of persuading Clair or my mother to accept protection are not good. Any suggestions?"

"Well, you could try this; honesty and questions, rather than declarations and bullying."

With a grin, he says, "Hey, I'm working on it."

Also smiling, Beckett says, "I can tell. You haven't even asked me to be careful."

"Of one guy armed only with a handgun? He's the one who should be careful."

* * *

><p>On arriving at the precinct, they see that Ryan and Esposito have chosen to give up their Saturday afternoon. Beckett is pleased to see them, but asks, "How did you…"<p>

Ryan says, "The captain called us and said you might need some help."

Esposito adds, "The warrants came through. We're just waiting on the security footage from the parking garage. The ATM footage is already here. But we thought you'd want to see it, too." He positions his computer screen so that they can all watch. Beckett puts the photo of Sarah Pikeman on the desk, so they all know who they're looking for. A couple of different people use the ATM and Beckett is already pleased at how much can be seen. Then Sarah Pikeman appears, from the direction of the theater. She doesn't appear nervous. Being just after 8:30pm, the sidewalk and street are quite busy. Beckett is first to spot the anomaly; the legs of someone who exits the theater a couple of seconds after Pikeman. They are conspicuous only in their lack of motion. They don't approach within close range of the camera, but wait until Pikeman pockets her cash and walks away, before heading in the same direction on the opposite sidewalk.

Beckett asks Esposito to replay it. After waiting for their suspect to reappear, she says, "Pause it there." And then asks, "Thoughts?"

Ryan says, "Shoes look like black All Stars."

Esposito adds, "Dark, baggy clothing, so it's hard to tell the body size, but he's no bigger than Ryan."

Surprised they haven't spotted it, Castle says, "It's a woman."

They all look at him. The guys are skeptical. Beckett only asks, "What makes you say that?"

Pointing at the screen, he says, "The way she's standing." To Beckett he says, "Stand up for a second." After appraising her stance, he says, "Ok; bad example. I'll be right back."

While he's gone they all replay the footage of the suspect, in hopes of seeing what Castle has seen. By the time he returns with a female officer, Beckett has concluded that he might be correct. Castle says, "This is Maddie." To the officer he says, "Just stand relaxed and stare at the wall over there." To Ryan he says, "You stand next to her." He gestures at his subjects, with a flourish and asks, "See the difference?" And they can; Ryan naturally stands with his weight carried equally on both legs, whereas Maddie stands with her weight mostly on one hip. Seeing that they've understood, he politely dismisses her and says, "Most women stand like that." Nodding to Beckett he says, "Unless they've always had to compete with men."

Beckett smiles, to show that she's not offended and says, "Well, no one here will dispute your credentials in women-watching. But female serial killers are pretty rare, even more so if the chosen weapon is a firearm. So we'll need more evidence, before proceeding with your theory."

"Fair enough. But if that's a man, then I'm gay."

Incredulous, Beckett asks, "You find the serial killer attractive?"

Ryan and Esposito are equally surprised. So Castle explains, "Well, the clothes don't do anything for her at all, but I have an excellent imagination and there's something about the way she moves. She's…graceful." They're still staring at him as if he's mad, so he says, "Moving on; what's next?"

Beckett answers, "We'll have to wait until Monday before forensics can analyze the footage. Ditto with anything Crime Scene collected from the Brooklyn address. So I guess we're reviewing what we already have."

Ryan and Esposito have already grabbed a file each, to get started and Castle says, "Right; four coffees then."

They're on their second cup of coffee when the security footage from the parking garage arrives. Beckett plays the disk, where the four of them can see it. She fast-forwards until Pikeman appears on screen and then slows the footage down. Soon enough, their suspect appears. The clothing prohibits a proper ID, no doubt by design. But there is also no doubt that the person stalking Pikeman that night is a woman. Beckett says, "My apologies, Castle. You were right."

With a grin, he says, "That's ok, Beckett. I'm just more qualified in some fields, than you are."

Beckett updates the captain and the FBI on this development. After glancing at her watch, she says, "Well, thanks for your help. But I think that'll do for today. See you Monday."

* * *

><p>Clair hasn't called, to say that she's finished work. So Castle heads to her office, on the off-chance that she's not on the road. Of course, Clair is on the phone. So he says hello to Luther, while he waits. The dog has made himself at home on a pet bed beside Clair's desk. His tail thumps a happy rhythm on the floor on seeing Castle, but he doesn't get up. Keeping his voice down, so he won't disturb Clair's phone call, Castle says, "Hey, buddy. You're going to get fat lazing around here all day." Grabbing Luther's leash is enough to get the dog out of the bed, though it's still a struggle with the cast on his back leg. Castle shows Clair the leash, so she knows what he's up to and puts Luther's soft muzzle on before letting the injured animal set the pace on a walk around the block. Other than having to chastise Luther every time he growls at a man, they enjoy their time together and Castle wonders if he made a mistake not keeping the dog for himself.<p>

When they return, Castle notices an unfamiliar motorbike parked next to Clair's CBR600 and wonders if she's finally found an assistant. Once inside, he sees that Clair is shaking hands with a young woman; maybe late twenties, Latin American, straight black hair. He can't see her eyes, but can't help noticing that she's quite attractive, though in a very different way from Clair's blond-haired, blue-eyed good looks. On seeing him return, Clair says, "Rick, meet Abril, my new assistant."

Castle says, "April?"

The woman laughs and says, "No; Abril, though it means April." She shakes his hand and says, "Pleasure to meet you, Rick."

"Sorry; Abril. I guess that happens a lot?"

"Only every time I meet someone."

Clair explains, "Abril has several years' experience as a motorcycle courier. She's going to take some of the load off, so I might actually be able to work regular hours."

Delighted, Castle says, "Then it's a pleasure to meet you too, Abril."

He removes Luther's leash and muzzle and the dog resumes his position by the desk. Abril asks, "Is he aggressive?"

Clair explains, "Only with men he doesn't know well. Just ignore him and he'll be eating out of your hand in no time." The last sentence is delivered whilst looking straight at Castle, so he acknowledges her jibe with a wry grin and counters with, "I'm sure Abril is used to guys eating out of her hand."

Clair laughs and says, "No doubt." And then she hands Abril a file and says, "See how you go with that one. If there's still time I've got another job in Queens that needs to be done by tomorrow."

Abril says, "Ok. Thanks again for the opportunity." To Castle she says, "Good to meet you, Rick."

Once she's gone Clair kisses him hello and says, "Are you here to see me, or Luther?"

He smiles and says, "Well, you both have your charms, but I need to talk to you." Hearing the change in tone she asks, "What's wrong?"

Castle gestures to the nearby chairs and, after dragging a chair to face her, he thinks for a second before proceeding, "There's no need for concern yet. But it's looking increasingly likely that I may be the ultimate target of the suspect we're currently investigating."

Heart in her throat, Clair asks, "How do you know?"

"I can't go into specifics, but the killer has left several clues that have convinced even Beckett that, unless they're stopped, the suspect will eventually come after me."

Clair has to swallow, before being able to ask, "How long is eventually?"

Shaking his head, Castle says, "I don't know. But I wanted to let you know what's going on. In case things get weird or dangerous…or I have to disappear for a while, ok?"

Without even realizing it, Clair has reached out to grasp his hands and asks, "Can I do anything?"

"I doubt it. But I'm worried that there's a chance they might come after you. So I'd…ok, hadn't thought this far ahead. I…I'm asking for your cooperation, if Beckett thinks there's an imminent threat, ok?" Afraid of her stubborn, independent nature he continues, "I'm not trying to tell you what to do. It's just…if anything from my life put you in danger, I'm not sure I'd cope very well."

His face is the picture of tragedy, and Clair is fighting tears as she says, "God, between you and Luther, I have no hope of ever getting my own way again, do I?"

So he knows that she'll cooperate and kisses each of her hands and then her lips, before saying, "Thank you." Finally able to relax, he confesses, "I thought you'd accuse me of bullying you again, and this would end in a huge row."

"No. This is different. You've asked me to cooperate, if NYPD thinks that I'm in danger. Not telling me to fear something that may or may not be a threat. Only a couple of weeks ago you would have been trying to persuade me to go into hiding, just in case. But something's obviously changed, or we _would_ be fighting right now."

Castle smiles and says, "Yes. I've been giving it some serious thought, as promised, and I've realized something; I'm sometimes arrogant and a bit of a male chauvinist." At Clair's smile, he exclaims, "I know! I was as shocked as you are. But it's true."

More serious now, he continues, "Since I can remember my mother needed my help with one thing or another…one man or another. No doubt she will have conveniently forgotten, but a couple of times I had to physically intercede, to keep her safe. But she always bounced back. She's incredibly strong. So, in some weird oedipal way that I'd rather not think about, I'm now attracted to strong women who've endured a lot. Unfortunately, I'm also compelled to ensure that they don't endure any more, and deluded enough to think that only I know how to do that."

"So, what's changed? When we first met, you wouldn't have even told me that I'm in danger. You would have tried to ensure my safety without asking me or giving me any details."

"I realized that it's a question of faith…or my lack of it."

Smiling, she says, "Rick, are you trying to tell me that you've found religion?"

He laughs and says, "Hardly. No. See, as it happens I'm surrounded by incredibly strong, capable and intelligent women. So I've decided to put my faith in that…to put my faith in you."

"Oh, that is _so_ not fair."

Frowning slightly, he asks, "What?"

"You can't say stuff like that, and _look_ at me like that when I have so much work to do."

Still holding her hands, he pulls her closer and says, "What's the point of having an assistant, if you can't leave early once in a while."

Clair stands up, extricating herself from him, and says, "What I have are thirty clients who've left it 'til the last minute to call me." Pushing him towards the door, she adds, "So you have to go; _now_."

Castle lets her shepherd him out the door. Before she closes it she says, "Just one thing."

Pretending that she's asking him to come back in, he moves to take a step through the door, but she smiles and blocks him, before saying, "If there's anything that I can do to help protect you…is it at all possible that you could just ask me, and trust that I'm not going to fall apart?"

After thinking about it, he says, "Yeah, I think that's entirely possible. I'll see you tonight?"

"I hope so; if Abril lives up to the promise of her CV."

"Oh, that reminds me; do you have a photo of Abril for…" He's cut off by the door slamming. With a resigned shrug and a smile he heads home to not bully some more women.

* * *

><p>When Matt arrives at her apartment, Beckett quickly kisses him hello before saying, "Grab a beer. I'm nearly done."<p>

Looking at the scene of devastation in her kitchen, he asks, "You cook?"

With a shrug, she says, "I do now."

Matt laughs and says, "Oh yeah, I heard about that. He really got to you, huh?"

"_No_. And if you want any dinner you'd better wipe that smile off your face."

He's trying to do just that, as he gets a beer from the fridge and then says, "Oh, I also heard that the writer might have a serial killer after him?"

"Don't call him that. Just call him Rick, or Castle, ok?"

"You got it, detective."

At the formal address that he usually reserves for when they're on-duty, Beckett apologizes, "Sorry. This is kind of an on-going thing that you didn't start. Castle has seen more action than the average beat-cop, and helped close more cases than the average detective. But people still call him _writer_, as if being a volunteer somehow makes him less."

"Hey, I've barely met the guy. But if you say he's ok, that's good enough for me."

"Thanks." And then she frowns and asks, "_How_ did you hear that he's a target?"

"Oh, some officer from the 8th; don't know his name."

"Damn; if it's already gossip amongst the ranks, then it's only a matter of time before it hits the news. Can you cook?"

Smiling, with obvious pride, he says, "I'm part Filipino. Of course I can."

"Well, the food is Italian, but it probably won't care. Would you stir this sauce, while I make a few phone calls?"

End of Chapter Two


	3. Chapter 3

Original Character:

Matt Blood; ESU officer with NYPD, Beckett's current romantic interest. First appears as a hostage negotiator in "The Castle on the Hill"

Clair Winter (nee Willingham); motorcyclist, process server, Castle's current romantic interest. First appears as a murder suspect in "Castles in the air"

Luther; pit-bull terrier, now Clair's dog, but very loyal to Castle. First appears when Castle rescues him in "The Haunted Castle"

Greg Willingham; Clair's first husband, not a nice man. First mentioned in "The Fall of the Castle"

Allyson Markham; academic, saved Castle from a car crash. First appears in "The Castle on the Hill"

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Three: In Defense of the Castle<span>

Matt has left her side for the start of his shift and Beckett is already asleep when her phone rings. It's Clair saying, "Kate. I've just left the office. Someone is following me. Where do you want me to lead them?"

Barely awake, Beckett nevertheless thinks only of Clair's safety and says, "No, Clair, just head for the nearest police station. Where are you?"

"Eastbound on Canal St; coming up on Lafayette. I'd just left the office when I noticed them. So I slowed down to make sure, and they're definitely sticking with me."

"You're closest to the 4th precinct on Elizabeth. Turn right at Mott St and I'll direct you from there."

After a second, Clair says, "There's a traffic camera with license plate recognition on the corner of East Houston and Allen St. I'll see if I can get their speed up enough to trip it."

Realizing that there's little chance of dissuading her, Beckett says, "Ok. But then head straight for the 12th and I'll meet you there, ok?"

"Ok." And she's gone.

Beckett is relieved to see the familiar blue and white motorbike parked outside the precinct. Clair is already filling out a report, with Luther at her side. Beckett says, "Don't do that again. Do you have any idea how much trouble I'd be in, if you got hurt trying to help me out?"

Clair smiles and says, "Well, we can leave that bit out of the report."

"I'm not worried about the captain. Castle would kill me."

Clair laughs and agrees, "Yeah, you're probably right."

Clair has finished with the forms, and Beckett says, "Do you mind going over what happened?"

"Well, Rick came to see me this afternoon and told me enough about your current case to make me cautious when I left work. Time was I wouldn't go anywhere without looking over my shoulder, but I've become complacent lately. So it's possible that they've been tailing me for a while and I didn't notice. Of course, there's a chance that Greg has found me. I've no doubt at all that he could do that even from prison. But it seems more likely that it's the guy who's after Rick."

"Not a guy."

Surprised, Clair says, "Really? I suppose that makes sense. Anyway, it's hard to tail a motorbike in a car without attracting attention, so I spotted them almost straight away and called you. I don't know if they tripped the camera, but I definitely did…I'm not going to lose any points over that I hope."

Beckett smiles and says, "It's no more than you deserve, for putting yourself in danger like that." She talks to the desk attendant before getting back to Clair, "We should have the footage before morning. Are you heading home now, or to Castle's?"

"I'm almost home now, so I'll head there."

"All right. I'll get a squad car to shadow you home and stay there overnight. We'll work out something else in the morning. Are you planning on telling Castle about this?"

"Yes, though he's not going to like it."

"No, he's not." Beckett hesitates before saying, "He's going to offer you professional protection. Obviously, it's up to you. But it might be time to accept it."

"I'll think about it. Is that all for tonight?"

"Yeah, thanks Clair. But, seriously, don't do that again."

"Ok. 'Night, Kate."

Clair is almost to the door with Luther, when Beckett asks, "Why does it make sense, that the killer is a woman?"

"Well, I haven't known Rick very long. But I've noticed that he has a tendency to provoke a strong reaction in women. They're either attracted or repelled…sometimes both. But they always notice him."

"I hadn't actually thought about it, but you're right." And then she says, "Have you ever considered taking the NYPD exam?"

Clair smiles and says, "I thought about it. But I'd still want to be on a motorbike. And you must know that serious riders call those bikes _Hardly Able-to_."

"You know that I _own_ a Harley, right?"

Smiling, Clair says, "Yeah, I know." And then asks, "What was your first impression of him; attraction or repulsion?"

"Just between you and me?"

"Of course."

"I thought that he looked much better in person than he does on the dust jacket of his books."

"Yeah, you'd probably better not tell him that. He'd torture you indefinitely."

"Well, that's the problem isn't it? He'd only spoken a few words before I wanted to hurt him."

"I've noticed that the jokes get worse, when he's nervous. And you make him very nervous."

"Probably because I'm armed."

Clair sees the light-bulb go off for Beckett and asks, "What is it?"

"She knows him…or she's met him. I'd been operating under the assumption that only his fame made him the target. But this woman is seriously obsessed with him and still wants to kill him. So she could have met him."

"You're saying that only someone who knows him would really want to kill him? Probably better not tell him that either." Unable to stifle a yawn, she says, "I need sleep."

"Ok. The squad car is out front. They'll follow you home and check out your apartment before making themselves conspicuous in your street."

"Thanks, Kate. Goodnight."

Already lost in thought about her new theory, Beckett says only, "Night."

Beckett stays at the precinct long enough to find out that Clair was successful. They have a license plate, but the driver's appearance is concealed by a watch cap and hooded sweater. Beckett orders an APB on the car and goes home to sleep.

* * *

><p>When Clair calls, Castle says, "It's after one o'clock, Clair. I was getting worried. Are you just leaving the office now?"<p>

"Not exactly…I'm at home and I'm safe, ok?"

Already nervous, he asks, "Why are you telling me that you're safe?"

"Because someone followed me from work. Beckett met me at the precinct and she's got a patrol car outside my apartment." He's quiet for so long that she says, "Rick, you ok?"

"Just waiting for my heart to restart." And then he says, "Beckett thinks it's time to worry?"

"Yeah, she does. So I was hoping you'd send me the details of that security firm you use."

"Sure, I can do that. Thanks."

"You know that I'm not doing this for you, right?"

"I know. You're doing it because it makes sense. But I'm still grateful that you're thinking about your safety."

"You're welcome." After considering something, she says, "I was going to suggest otherwise, anyway. But I'm surprised you haven't insisted on coming 'round."

"That's something else to consider. Beckett called me earlier. She's fairly certain that this case will be news in a matter of days. You have excellent reasons for not wanting your photo in the paper. So…maybe we should see less of each other for a while. What do you think?"

"That I don't like the idea at all, but you're probably right."

"I don't like it either. I'm really going to miss Luther."

Clair smiles and says, "He'll miss you too. Look, I really just got in the door. I'll get cleaned up and call you back. And tonight I'd like to fall asleep talking to you, if that's ok?"

"That depends; what are you wearing?"

"Right now; motorbike leathers and quite a bit of perspiration."

"Works for me." He's neither surprised nor upset, that she's suddenly no longer on the phone.

* * *

><p>Too early Sunday morning, Beckett is at the station going over the evidence when Castle shows up with her coffee. Nodding to the files he asks, "Anything?"<p>

"Not enough. Did Clair talk to you?"

"Yeah, she did. Thanks for making sure she got home safe."

"It's my job. Looks like the car she got us was a bust. They found it a burnt-out shell in the Bronx, but Crime Scene is there…"

"Back up; the car Clair got you?"

"She didn't tell you."

Voice too calm, he says, "Obviously not. But you'd better."

Having already let the cat out of the bag, Beckett relents, "She rode fast enough past a traffic camera that the car tailing her set off the camera and we got a license plate. I already gave her a hard time about it, Castle. So you don't need to."

Running one hand through his hair in frustration, Castle declares, "One way or another, women will be the death of me."

"I'm sorry, Castle."

"No. It's fine. I'm sure that it was all her idea. Did you get a name from the car?"

"No, it was stolen a few days ago in Morris Heights. She torched it. But Crime Scene might still find us something. We'll just have to wait for results."

Reminded of something, he asks, "How did you know that I almost died in that car accident on Shelter Island?"

"You told me?"

"No. I didn't."

Embarrassed, Beckett confesses, "I had a feeling you were in trouble, so I called the local PD."

"I thought so. I searched online last night and couldn't find any mention of the accident. So there was no news report in the papers here?"

"Not that I know of. Why?"

"If you talked to local police, you know the name Allyson Markham."

"Yes."

"Good. We've stayed in touch. She's back at work in Brooklyn and doing really well. So her house on the island is vacant. If I need to disappear, that's where I'll be, ok? It has nothing to do with me, other than I've been there a few times. So I don't think even an obsessed fan would know about it."

"I really hope it doesn't come to that. But thanks for telling me."

Nodding, he says, "You're welcome. So what are we doing today?"

Picking up another file, Beckett says, "Profile from the FBI, adjusted for a female suspect. Apparently even agent Shaw didn't guess that one. She'll be here tomorrow, so you can save your smug for then."

"I'll try. What's it say?"

"Apparently a chess-playing, gun-wielding, female serial killer is so rare that the usual patterns may not apply. But Shaw is certain of a few things; the killer is smart, methodical to the point of being obsessive compulsive, late 20s to early 30s, bullied and possibly abused by a domineering father, has a history of minor crimes like theft and/or solicitation. She's most likely Caucasian and is almost certainly following you on Twitter, though that narrows it down to 65 000 suspects. Shaw also sent a list of magazines and web sites that the suspect probably reads. When I told her that you think the woman is graceful, she suggested that the suspect may be, or has been a dancer. And last night it occurred to me that you may have even met this woman. Does any of this ring a bell?"

"Only that it sounds more like one of my books, than an FBI profile."

"I see what you mean." And then she says, "I don't recall anything about a dancer in your books. What about the one you're working on now?"

Shaking his head, Castle says, "Nope. No, I haven't researched dancing for any…wait, does lap dancer count?"

After thinking for a second, Beckett asks, "Kimberly Starr?"

Eyes widening, Castle realizes, "Wow! You don't just read my books. You read them over and over, don't you?"

Annoyed at herself for giving him that much ammunition, Beckett tries to move on, "Are you trying to tell me that visiting strip clubs was part of research for a book?"

Eyes shining with joy at discovering a new piece of the Beckett puzzle, he doesn't let her get away with it, and says, "So, just how many times have you read Heat Wave?" Scanning her face for clues, he says, "20 times? 50 times? Oh my God; more?"

"Castle, please, would you focus? Someone is trying to kill you."

Unable to stop smiling, he says, "That's ok. I can die a happy man now." Finally taking pity on her, he explains, "Yes, I did visit _one_ strip club to research the Kimberly Starr character." At her disapproving look, he continues, "_No_, I don't usually do that. I also had Alexis duct tape me to a chair for research. It doesn't mean that I enjoyed it…though I guess it depends who's holding the duct tape."

Ignoring the last comment, Beckett asks, "During your strip club research, did any of the girls stand out?"

Castle scans his memory, before saying, "There was one. I can't remember her name; this was a while ago, soon after I met you. She…well, she was a little too…motivated. I didn't complain to the management. But they found out anyway, presumably from surveillance cameras, and they fired her. Clubs have to be real careful of that sort of thing, or they can be charged with solicitation…well, you know that."

"Do you know if she played chess?"

"I was a little too busy fending off her none-too-subtle advances to ask about her hobbies."

"Oh, right, sorry. Name of the club?"

"Rick's Cabaret."

"Of course. Are they open on Sunday?"

"They were three years ago, but not until 4pm."

"Then you'll have time to grab some singles before we go."

At his obvious reluctance, Beckett asks, "You worried what Clair will think?"

"Not exactly. She and I have agreed to cool it for a while, just in case you're right about reporters. So I'm worried that, if I go to a strip club while Clair and I are on a break, I'll be humping the furniture by this evening."

"That's ok, Castle. I'll take a rolled up newspaper with me, so I can whack you on the nose, if you get out of hand...don't know why I haven't thought of that before, actually."

* * *

><p>They're still at the station when Beckett gets a call. She writes down a few details, before thanking them and hanging up, and then says to Castle, "That was the 51st precinct in the Bronx. There was a murder late last night in Morris Heights. Someone walking their dog was shot twice in the body and once in the head. No chess piece, but there's some writing on the body that they thought might be of interest to us."<p>

They're already grabbing their coats and heading out when Castle asks, "Did she just dump the car and kill the first person she saw?"

"Looks like it. If you tell Clair about this, make sure she knows it's not her fault."

Upset that she would think so, he says, "I don't discuss details of cases, not even with Clair. And I certainly wouldn't tell her about this."

"Sorry, Castle. Just a bit rattled. This makes four and all we know for sure is her gender."

"I'll forgive you if you tell me where you keep your copy of Heat Wave. You keep it by your bed, don't you? Please tell me you keep it by your bed."

Grateful that he's not offended, Beckett struggles not to smile as she says, "That reminds me; I need to buy a newspaper."

On arrival at the 51st precinct they're shown to Autopsy. The ME greets them and says, "We thought at first it was just a shorthand reminder for the vic. But when it matched the bulletin you've put out to all Boroughs I called your precinct. Have a look." He shows them the writing on the back of one hand _Nxc3_.

Beckett says, "Yeah, that's our suspect. I doubt you'll find much, but can you copy everything to the 12th?"

"Of course."

* * *

><p>By the time they make it back to Manhattan, it's soon enough to visit Rick's Cabaret. Beckett's impatience for evidence; any evidence means that she's arranged to meet the owner at the club, while he's still getting ready for the evening rush. On the drive there, Castle exclaims, "Sasha! Her name was Sasha."<p>

"I presume that's not her real name. Is that all you can remember?"

"She's very strong. She did this thing where she stood on her hands and spread her…anyway, I think she may have been a gymnast at one point. She had an accent; maybe Russian, or Slavic."

Once inside Rick's Cabaret, they meet the owner, Bob, who greets Beckett politely and Castle warmly with, "Rick! How did the book turn out?

"A best seller. Thanks for your help."

"And yet; no royalties."

Castle laughs and says, "The amount of money I sunk here that week should be more than enough compensation."

Bob concedes the point and gets to the business at hand. He recalls the girl Castle describes and finds her employee records, "Ah, here it is; Natalia Pogonina. Way too much of a mouthful, so we called her Sasha instead."

Castle asks, "Did you choose Sasha, or did she?"

Bob thinks for a second, before saying, "Come to think of it, she did."

Answering Beckett's unspoken question, Castle says, "Natalia Pogonina is one of the most famous chess players in the world, so Sasha might be her real name."

Nodding, to acknowledge that he could be right, Beckett asks Bob, "Any chance that you keep security footage this long?"

"Sorry, no. We keep it a year, just in case there're any legal issues from instances just like what happened to Rick. But then we reuse the disks. Oh, but I could have a photo here somewhere. I'm not always here during opening hours so most girls apply for work by leaving their photo at the bar." He digs around in the files for a while before handing a photo and the employee records to Beckett, saying, "Here you go. I don't have a use for them anymore."

Beckett thanks him and studies the photo. Sasha is beautiful; her delicate, heart-shaped features and sad eyes are partly hidden by her straight, dark-brown hair.

Bob breaks her reverie with, "It's a pity she took such a shine to Rick, or she'd still be here."

Beckett asks, "Took a shine to?"

"Yeah, he was only here for a week, interviewing the girls. But I guess Sasha wasn't used to that kind of attention. So she fell pretty hard."

Shaking his head, Castle says, "I don't think so, Bob. I didn't treat her any different than I did the others."

"Of course not. But…look, I like to think that any girl who's worked here for a while is used to being treated with respect. But some of these girls have never been treated with kindness, so Sasha probably got it all wrong in her head, when you acted like a gentleman around her." Looking at his watch, Bob says, "The girls should start arriving soon. Cherry and Clarissa were both here back then. They'll know more about Sasha than I do. If you've got time, you can speak with them today."

Castle licks his lips and says, "Actually, we skipped lunch. Any chance that the kitchen might open early?"

Bob smiles and says, "For you, sure. Two of our Prime Rib Sliders?"

Castle jokes, "Well, that'll do for me. What about you, Beckett?"

Reluctant to eat dinner in a Gentleman's Club, Beckett lies, "I'm not hungry."

Castle shrugs and says, "Suit yourself. But the steak dinners here are even better than the girls."

In the silence that follows, both men can clearly hear Beckett's stomach crying out to be fed. Clutching at her abdomen, too slow to prevent the betrayal, she says, "Ok, thanks. But I'll pay for it."

Bob insists, "I wasn't about to suggest anything else."

* * *

><p>Even though some patrons are now arriving, Bob makes sure that Beckett and Castle can enjoy their meal at a quiet table. A polite interval later Bob returns with a couple of women and introduces Cherry and Clarissa to Beckett before saying, "They'll help you if they can. Hopefully we'll see you soon, Rick."<p>

"Unlikely, but thanks again Bob."

Once Bob is gone, Beckett motions that the women should sit and begins, "Thanks for agreeing to speak with us. We're hoping you can remember anything about Sasha; her real name, where she came from, whether she's a citizen or an illegal. Anything you say is confidential. And, if it leads to an arrest, could mean a reward."

Cherry says, "I remember she was crazy for Rick. Practically ripped his clothes off."

With a wink, Clarissa adds, "Not that we hadn't entertained the same thoughts ourselves."

Frustrated and embarrassed, Castle says, "Girls; focus. The detective is trying to track down Sasha. She could be in real trouble."

Suitably chastised, though unrepentant, Cherry says, "I think she was from Russia. She talked about it a lot; how she came here with her father, when she was a child. So maybe she's legal. But I don't know."

Clarissa says, "Her Mom died in Russia. Sasha must have been very young. She liked chess. Her father taught her when she was only five. Oh, and he also made her take gymnastics. But something happened…an injury, I think and she couldn't do it anymore. She didn't really like it anyway."

Beckett has been scribbling notes and asks, "Last name?"

They both shrug and Cherry says, "We always thought her real name was that unpronounceable one she gave Bob."

Castle asks, "Any idea where she might be now? Did she go work at another club?"

Again; two shrugs and a negative answer. So Beckett gives them her card before saying, "Ok, thanks. If you think of anything else, call me."

Castle stands and bids them goodbye, staving of anything more intimate with a handshake. When he sits down, Beckett says, "You don't stand when I arrive or leave a table."

Knowing the answer already, he asks, "Would you prefer that I did?"

"Well, no."

Smiling, he says, "That's why I don't." And then he says, "Is there any point checking out the address she gave Bob?"

"Probably not, but I will anyway." Taking her phone out she says, "It's South Bronx, so I'll let them take care of it. I think that's enough for today."

Castle says, "If it's a real address, there'll probably be another alarm."

"Good point, thanks. I'll see if they can do anything about that."

Once the pertinent phone calls are made, Beckett glances at her watch and says, "I need to get this photo in the works. Want me to drop you home first?"

Deducing that the watch glance means she's thinking of Matt, he grins and says, "No. You go. I'm sure that I can find something to do here."

Once she's gone he calls a cab and heads home.

End of Chapter Three


	4. Chapter 4

Original Character:

Clair Winter (nee Willingham); motorcyclist, process server, Castle's current romantic interest. First appears as a murder suspect in "Castles in the air"

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Four: In Defense of the Castle<span>

Monday morning at Homicide brings new evidence, a convoy of black Suburbans containing FBI Agent Jordan Shaw's team, and a newspaper article with Castle's picture and the headline _Murder in Manhattan: Chess Killer stalks famous author. _So the morning also brings a very grouchy Castle and he arrives saying, "Bloody vultures are parked outside my apartment. I thought Mark would have to shoot someone just getting Alexis to school." Then he notices the FBI agents setting up equipment in the conference room and says, "Oh, Jordan's here?"

Beckett says, "Yeah, they arrived soon after I did. We're just waiting for them to finish setting up, and then we're off to the South Bronx."

"The address is real?"

"It is and sounds pretty interesting. They managed to jam the alarm, so it couldn't send. Detectives from the 51st sat on the place overnight, but no one showed up. So she may have spotted them."

Already cheering up, now that Agent Shaw has arrived, Castle says, "I'll just go say hello."

After he's gone, Ryan says, "Looks like he's still a Fanboy."

Beckett says, "Just be grateful that he has something to distract him. Things are only going to get more difficult for him from now on."

Castle comes back and says, "Jordan says you have a name?"

Beckett replies, "Well, the FBI found it from what I entered into the report last night. Sasha is a Russian nickname for Alexandra. It didn't take them long to find an Alexandra Beketov who arrived here seventeen years ago with her father. She was heading for the Olympic team in gymnastics, but her Achilles tendon snapped away from the bone, and she spent three years unable to compete. So she missed her window. In the meantime she started winning chess tournaments. But she ran away from home at the age of sixteen, presumably that's how she ended up at Rick's Cabaret. Soon after she met you her father was struck down by an ambulance in Manhattan. Alexandra received over a million dollars in compensation. She came forward to claim it and disappeared. Jordan seems to think that she was already planning the killings and the money gave her the opportunity to make it happen."

"Wait a minute. Why does she want to kill me? It's not the fame thing, like you thought. And everyone seems to think she's nuts about me, so…"

Jordan has approached and interrupts, "Well, apart from the fact that she's also just plain nuts, she's probably never had a normal relationship in her life. Neighbors of the family when she was young report that they barely saw her. Some even swore that Mr. Beketov never had a child. I'd say she was definitely abused by her father; sexually, psychologically and physically. By the time she escaped from him, she would have expected and sought the same sort of treatment from any men she encountered. When you turned up, treating her like a real person she would have almost had a psychotic break. In her mind you have become both the source of all that is good, and the cause of all that is bad. The good news is that she may not be able to go through with it."

Castle asks, "Bad news?"

"She's an attention-seeking, thrill-killer. So she could decide that the bad outweighs the good and kill you without hesitation." To Beckett, she says, "We're closing in, and she knows it. So there's a chance that she'll skip some steps and come after him."

Beckett replies, "I'd thought of that. The captain approved a detail this morning. They'll stay on him until it's finished."

Castle almost shouts, "I'm right here!" Startled, Beckett looks at him and he adds, "Just talk to me."

"Sorry, Castle. I didn't get a chance to tell you yet. The captain agrees that you may become the primary target at any time, so we'd appreciate it if you'd start living your life accordingly and not give the protection detail a hard time."

"Well, with reporters camped on my doorstep and Clair also lying low, I'm practically living a monastic existence anyway, so I don't think it'll make much difference."

Relieved, Beckett says, "Thanks, Castle." To Jordan she says, "Ready to go?"

"Ready."

* * *

><p>Detectives from Bronx PD meet them at the scene. The small three-storey timber clad house looks abandoned. The bottom windows are boarded up and there are three jimmied padlocks hanging askew on the front door frame. The fence around the empty asphalt yard is topped by rolls of razor wire. In a time of economic strife, this is one of the worst hit areas in the city. The only weird thing about the building is that a millionaire owns it.<p>

Inside, things get weirder. Every wall on the bottom floor is covered with photos of Castle, articles about him and hundreds of notations next to them. The kitchenette in one corner looks like it hasn't been used for a long time and there is not a scrap of furniture.

Beckett asks the detectives, "Any prints?"

"Nope. Same as the Brooklyn address you mentioned; every surface except the ceiling has been scrubbed. Other than some latex residue, this is the cleanest room I've ever seen.

"Upstairs the same?"

"No, I don't think they went upstairs. It's covered in the normal amount of prints and the only recent footprints were left by our guys."

"Ok, thanks." To Agent Shaw she says, "Doesn't look like she lives here."

"I agree. Looks more like an office…or reference library. I'd say there's a chance she might still come back here."

"We should clear out?"

"No. I think she must be moving around only at night, or we would have had a sighting by now."

Beckett asks a Bronx detective, "You've got a team on the place?"

"Yeah; parked in the bedding factory across the street 24 hours a day."

"Good." Since arriving, Castle has been slowly making his way around the room. Beckett can now see that he's stopped and is transfixed by one section of the creepy collage. She walks over and asks, "You ok?"

Pointing to a photo of himself cycling in a park, he says, "This was taken before I was shot. Whatever damage was done to my leg makes cycling painful. I know you said that she's been planning this for a long time, but it only just hit me that she's been following me for ages…probably stalking everyone I know."

"Yes, I'd say so. She's smart enough, and paranoid enough to not get noticed. But this has definitely been going on for a while." Having already been through it, Beckett says, "Not much fun is it?"

Shaking his head, he says, "No. No it isn't."

"But you're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. I don't much like the idea of people dying effectively in my name, but I understand that it's not my fault and she'd probably find a different reason to kill, if she hadn't met me."

"It's even possible that she was a killer before this started. There're a lot of unsolved murders in this city. Choosing you as a target just makes it more likely that we'll catch her. Once this is over, we could close a few other cases as well."

"I hadn't thought of that. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Castle, no one will think less of you if this is too much. You don't have to be here."

"I know. But I feel like there's something I've forgotten…something important. So I want to know everything."

"Ok. I'll leave you to it." And she makes her own way around the room.

Already having detailed photos of everything, they don't linger any longer than is necessary and head back to Manhattan. On the drive back, Castle is very quiet. Beckett can't stand it any longer and asks, "Anything I can do?"

"What? Sorry, no. I'm fine. I'm still trying to work out what's missing…like when you have a line from a song in your head and you can't recall the rest of the lyrics. Or the face of an actor from a movie, and you can't remember their name."

"You need a distraction." After considering for a few seconds, Beckett says, "I'm pretty sure that we could get Clair into the station without attracting attention. Not exactly the most romantic place in the world, but it's safe and Sasha is too smart to go anywhere near it."

With a smile that could outshine the sun, Castle says, "If you did that, I might have to include you in my will."

* * *

><p>Beckett makes the phone calls from the car and Clair is waiting in the break room at Homicide when everyone returns. Standing guard at the door is a rather imposing woman who can only be Clair's bodyguard. Castle practically runs to Clair and is almost stopped by the woman, but a word from Clair averts any confrontation and they're soon in each other's arms. Esposito says to Beckett, "That's a good thing you did."<p>

"Well, it was starting to freak me out, how quiet he is."

Ryan looks around and says, "You know there's no one within earshot, right?" At her furrowed brow, he says, "When it's just the three of us, you can admit you care about him."

Steadfast, Beckett says, "You really need to stop reading from Jenny's side of the bookshelf."

Ryan looks at Esposito and shrugs, saying, "I tried."

Beckett glares at both of them and says, "Just get to work."

As one, they say, "Yes, boss."

* * *

><p>The break room isn't exactly private, but no one bothers Castle and Clair. The team introduce themselves to Clair's bodyguard, Andie and she relaxes a little, though doesn't leave her post. They've been slogging away, looking for new leads, when Clair emerges without Castle. She says to Beckett, "Thanks, Kate. I'd better go. He fell asleep practically mid-sentence and I didn't want to wake him."<p>

"Yeah, no one's sleeping much at the moment. You need an escort home?"

"No, thanks. Andie's car will attract less attention."

The team say goodbye to both of them, then can't resist the chance to see a sleeping Castle. He's sitting on the sofa, with his feet crossed on the coffee table and his head tilted forward onto this chest. Ryan whispers, "They look so peaceful when they're sleeping, don't they?"

Esposito takes a picture with his phone, saying, "Might come in handy one day." And then they all leave him in peace and get back to reviewing the evidence.

Soon after that Castle emerges and says, "How long was I out?"

Beckett says, "Not long. Clair didn't want to wake you. She'll be home by now."

"Ok. Thanks. I'd say it's coffee time, wouldn't you?"

Ryan and Esposito put their hands up, and Beckett says, "Sounds good, thanks."

As he's heading back to the break room, Beckett says, "Castle?"

"Yeah?"

"What did you want to tell me about Sasha?"

For a fraction of a second he's confused, then she sees the moment of comprehension and he exclaims, "She said Union City…she said _I've got a place in Union City_." Frowning, he adds, "But she wouldn't still be there by now, would she?"

Beckett says to Esposito, "Shaw will want to hear this." And then, to Castle, "The FBI profile suggests that Sasha would be extremely resistant to change. That's why she bought the property at South Bronx when she came into money, even though she hadn't lived there for a while. And that's why she had a meltdown when you refused her." Jordan Shaw has joined them and Beckett says to her, "Castle remembers the suspect saying that she lived in Union City."

Shaw's eyes snap to Castle and she asks, "Where?"

They can see that he's trying to remember, but after a few seconds says, "I don't think she told me exactly."

Beckett says, "Sit down. Relax and just replay the conversation as best you can."

Castle does as he's bid, whilst explaining, "I wouldn't exactly call it a conversation. She was wearing only a thong and trying to take my clothes off. She's so strong that I almost had to hurt her, to maintain my virtue."

Esposito can't resist, "Tough break, Castle."

Castle glares at him before saying, "She seemed to think that we were going to be a couple. I lied about already being in a relationship and she said, _That's ok, I have a place in Union City on_…Argh! This is frustrating." And then he says, "You know what might help is a little scene reenactment."

Beckett knows exactly what he's talking about and says, "You're right. I've heard that can help jog memory. Ryan, take his clothes off."

With a shrug Ryan moves to do as he's told and Castle says, "Ok, ok. Thought it was worth a shot. This isn't helping. How about you lot get back to work and I'll make some coffees while I think about it?"

Shaw says, "Ok. Black; two sugars, thanks."

Once he's gone to the break room, Shaw comments, "Whatever you did seems to have worked. He's his old self again."

Beckett says, "Yes, God help us."

Two minutes later Castle comes striding out of the break room saying, "_On Manhattan Avenue_. That's what she said. Does that narrow it down enough?"

Shaw is heading back to the FBI war room saying, "It will when we cross-check female Russian chess players."

Castle says, "I doubt she'd use the same trick twice. She hasn't so far. But she might choose Russian…maybe gymnasts."

Shaw pauses only to say, "You're right."

Feeling quiet pleased with himself, Castle looks to the team for congratulations. After a few seconds, Beckett says, "Coffees?"

Castle says, "Oh, right. Sorry."

When he's gone Esposito chuckles and says, "You're not nice."

It doesn't seem long at all before Shaw informs the team that they have an address. Castle asks, "How?"

Shaw explains, "Thankfully there aren't many Russians living on Manhattan Avenue. We checked and found that Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova is a Russian serial killer. Union City ESU and a warrant will meet us there." After a second she says, "If you come with us, you'll have to stay in the car."

He opens his mouth to argue and Beckett says, "You're the target, Castle."

"So are you the minute you step in that house." He can see that Beckett will not be swayed, so he looks to the guys, but they refuse to meet his gaze. Outnumbered and unarmed, Castle agrees, "I'll stay in the car."

* * *

><p>At the scene in Union City, ESU are already gearing up. The street on either side has been blocked off by patrol cars. The house is a 19th century brownstone, surrounded by concrete and gravel, not a plant in sight. Castle steps out to watch the action, saying to Beckett, "Don't worry. I'll get back in my spot like a good boy before you go in." Looking around he says, "Can I at least have one of those ESU headsets, so I can hear what's going on?"<p>

Beckett says, "Sure. I think we can arrange that."

Everyone knows what Sasha looks like, and of what she's capable. So the briefing doesn't take long, and is mainly to inform everyone that, given the ongoing threat to society, the use of lethal force has been approved in apprehending the suspect. Castle is a little confused and turns to ask Beckett for clarification. She says, "It means that we can shoot to kill, even if she is unarmed and fleeing. It's been law since 1985, but most cops find it difficult to shoot someone in the back. So the reminder is a good idea."

When everyone is ready, they approach the house. Castle is in the ESU van a little way up the street, with one of the Union City team, Doug who gives him a headset and explains, "It's on receive only. You can speak normally and they won't hear you."

Castle can't see what's going on, but he knows enough to picture it; four of the ESU officers will be at the front door, one with a handheld battering ram and another ready to throw a flash grenade inside the moment they've breached the door. Two other officers, and possibly some FBI agents, will already be moving to the back of the house, in case Sasha tries to escape that way.

Of course, imagination only gives him part of the picture, and he doesn't see that Beckett chooses to join the team moving to guard the back of the house. Though the voices are mostly unfamiliar to him, Castle can hear what's said, as officers conduct the raid.

"In position."

"Getting ready to knock on the door."

"Police! Warrant!" This followed by a loud crash of the battering ram pounding on the door. "Fuck! Knocking again." Another crash and the sound of wood splintering and Castle hears, "We're in…" And then there's a crackling hiss, like radio static and, "Oh, shit; incendiary…Doug, the place is going up fast!"

Doug is on the radio, calling in EMS and the fire department.

"Suspect sighted!"

"Police! Get down!"

"Shit, did you see that?" is followed by, "She just did a Jackie Chan over the back fence."

"Suspect on foot, heading East into scrubland. In pursuit."

"Police! Get down!" Is repeated several times, so Castle knows Sasha is getting away.

Several gunshots are heard, followed by nothing but cursing as the officers make their way through the scrub. Meanwhile the house is already burning fiercely enough to be visible even from their location. Castle is just about ready to break something in frustration and says, "How can you stand this?"

Doug nods and says, "It's not much fun being the one in the van. But we take it in turns."

Just then the fire truck arrives. Doug leaps out to let them know what's going on. He's still doing so when he hears, "Officer down! Doug, one of the detectives got hit; bottom of the hill, east of the house." He sprints back to the van to grab the medical kit, before heading to the scene. Of course, Castle is already gone.

The only apparent way to the scrubland behind the house is through a narrow alleyway beside the blazing inferno that used to be Sasha's house. Castle takes of his suede jacket and holds it as a shield before running past the flames. It's almost more than he can bear, but it doesn't last long and he discards what's left of the jacket before running and sliding down the hill into the scrub. It's pretty easy to follow the path of destruction through the foliage and he soon catches up with an FBI agent, saying, "Who got hit?"

Castle nearly punches the guy when he only shrugs and says, "No idea."

Seconds later he can see a clearing ahead and emerges on gravel near a railway line. Esposito spots him and says, "She's fine, Castle. The vest caught it."

Then Castle can see that Beckett is sitting on the ground, clutching her left arm against her body. She's a little pale and in obvious discomfort. Her vest is lying nearby. Shaw is standing beside Beckett, one hand resting on her shoulder. Somehow Castle knows this is not for comfort, but rather to keep Beckett from standing. On seeing him Beckett asks, "What happened to staying in the car?

At first too relieved even to speak, he just smiles and shrugs his shoulders. And then he asks, "Sasha?"

"She took the train."

An officer says, "Damnedest thing ever; she just leapt for it like something out of a circus. Then she started shooting from cover. The detective was closest."

Doug arrives and, despite Beckett's protests, appraises her injury and hands her an icepack before saying, "Nothing broken. You'll be sore for a while and have some impressive bruising. But it shouldn't limit movement much." Standing up, he looks around and says, "Anyone else?"

Ryan says, "Castle?"

"Yeah?"

"Your arm."

Castle looks down at the source of the pain he's been ignoring, to see that the flames had enough time to eat through his sleeve and leave a large, red burn on his forearm, "Oh. Thought I scratched it on the way down."

Doug has a look at it and says, "Come on back to the truck."

With a last glance at Beckett to make sure she's really ok, Castle lets himself be led away.

* * *

><p>It's getting dark by the time Doug and Castle climb the hill. The fire is under control, though not much is left of the house. An ambulance has arrived, and Doug leaves Castle there for treatment of his burn. Castle can see news vans in the distance. Thankfully, they haven't made it past the police roadblock. By the time he's bandaged, Shaw and the Homicide team have joined him. In reply to their unspoken question he says, "It's fine; just red and angry with a few blisters. It probably won't even leave a scar. Any news on Sasha?"<p>

Shaw says, "The train was stopped at Port Imperial, but no sign of our suspect. There's a chopper in the air and they'll let us know if there's a sighting. It should be easier for us, now that she's wounded."

It's obvious Castle hadn't heard this news and Ryan says, "Beckett clipped her. There're a few drops of blood where she boarded the train."

Castle says, "So, other than a handgun and whatever cash she was carrying, she's got nothing?"

Beckett answers, "We're not that lucky. She had a backpack concealed near the tracks. Grabbing it before jumping onto the train was the only thing that slowed her down enough for me to get a chance of hitting her. You said she was graceful, but you didn't mention that she moves like a Ninja and can run like the wind."

He smiles and shrugs before saying, "She never ran from me."

Shaw says to Beckett, "We'll go over the ground again while it's still light. The house will have to wait until tomorrow, when the heat has settled down. You might as well call it a day. Are you ok to drive?"

Beckett flexes her arm a bit before saying, "Ok enough." Before leaving, she says to Ryan and Esposito, "Lend a hand here while there's enough light to see anything. I'll get started on the paperwork."

Beckett and Castle are almost to the car when he says, "Keys?"

Frowning, she says, "I'm fine, Castle."

"Prove it; throw me the keys with your left arm."

She does so, but not without wincing and says, "I told you. I'm fine."

He smiles and says, "You don't really think you're getting them back, do you?"

Too tired and sore to play, she gets in the passenger seat. After a while Castle says, "I'm not doing that again."

Confused, Beckett says, "Running through a fire? I hope not."

"Well, that too. But I meant that I'm not going to be the one who stays behind. Next time you want me to do that you'd better be prepared to hurt me, because that's what it will take to make me sit in a car while the rest of you risk your lives."

"Castle, you're the target of a serial killer."

"Yes. But no more than anyone who went down that hill…less so, in fact."

"What do you expect me to do with this…declaration?"

Castle shrugs and says, "I expect you to do what you think is right. I just wanted to give you fair warning."

"And if this means we can't work together anymore?"

She can see his jaw clench in defiance of the idea, but he says, "That'd be better than today. I could see the fire and hear the shots. And, when they said that a detective had been hit…just for a second I almost hoped it was one of the guys. I can't do that again and stay sane."

"Ok, Castle."

Not trusting such a quick surrender, he asks, "Ok, you agree with me?"

Shaking her head, she says, "No. Ok, I've heard you. If I think the risks of attending a scene are too great, I'll hurt you in order to keep you safe. But you might want to consider what that's going to do to _my_ sanity."

She can see that he hadn't considered that, but then he grins and says, "You can always get someone else to beat me up. There's bound to be eager takers for that chore."

End of Chapter Four

* * *

><p>Author's note to self: Don't watch Serenity in the middle of a chapter, or Castle will get reckless.<p>

Where credit's due: "knock on the door" is from the movie US Marshals. I just always liked that line.


	5. Chapter 5

Matt Blood; ESU officer with NYPD, Beckett's current romantic interest. First appears as a hostage negotiator in "The Castle on the Hill"

Clair Winter (nee Willingham); motorcyclist, process server, Castle's current romantic interest. First appears as a murder suspect in "Castles in the air"

Chaper Five: In Defense of the Castle

Back at the station Matt is waiting at Beckett's desk. On seeing her he stands up quickly, looking concerned. But then he hesitates, obviously unsure how to proceed on Beckett's home ground. Castle says, "I'll make us some coffees."

Beckett smiles her gratitude, then approaches Matt and says, "I texted you, so you _wouldn't_ worry. What are you doing here?" The words are stern, though her tone is anything but.

He smiles and nods towards the break room, saying, "I just wanted to make sure Rick is ok."

Unable to stop a smile, Beckett admits, "Nicely played."

She approaches close enough to take one of his hands. He latches onto that small contact as if it's enough, entwining his fingers in hers and asks, "You're really ok?"

With her free hand she moves her collar aside enough for him to see the start of the bruise and says, "Just some artwork, no permanent damage. But we probably can't spar for a while."

Matt squeezes her hand and smiles before saying, "I'm sure we can find some way to fill the time."

Also smiling, Beckett says, "Maybe you could start by cooking dinner?"

"Sure, I can do that. So, you're not going to be long?"

Handing over her apartment key, she says, "Just paperwork. You starting at eleven?"

"Yeah; normal shift tonight."

"Ok. I'll be there soon."

She hesitates and Matt says, "You're thinking about kissing me, aren't you?"

"Far too often." Instead, she squeezes his hand before releasing it and says, "I won't be long."

Not very disappointed, Matt says, "Ok. I'll get started on dinner. If you text me before you leave I'll even throw in a hot bath."

"After the day I've had, if I get into a bath I'm not getting out again."

With a huge grin he says, "Well, that sounds like fun too."

Shaking her head, Beckett smiles and says, "You'd better go."

Beckett is watching Matt leave when Castle hands her a coffee and says, "He seems like a good guy."

"Yeah, he is."

"You're not seeing him tonight?"

"Soon as I'm done here."

"Can I help with the paperwork? You know that I haven't got much else going on."

"That'd be great. Thanks, Castle. I'll have to fill in 50 forms just to explain how you got injured _again_."

He shrugs and says, "Well, that's your own fault. If you'd let me follow, I would have been fine."

Beckett frowns and asks, "How do you figure that?"

"Do you really think that I could have kept up with you down that hill, when those young ESU bucks couldn't even catch you?"

Beckett laughs and says, "I guess not." With a sigh, she adds, "Ok; paperwork."

* * *

><p>With the help of his police escort, Castle manages to make it inside his apartment without assaulting a reporter. Even though he called earlier to reassure Alexis and his mother that he's ok, they're still concerned after seeing his bandaged arm. But they've calmed down by the time dinner is over. Castle lets them insist on doing the clearing without him. After getting Alexis to help wrap his bandage in Saran Wrap and duct tape he spends long enough in the shower to wash off the day and falls asleep talking to Clair on the phone.<p>

* * *

><p>When Castle's phone goes off around 5am the next morning he first has to find it inside the bed. After seeing that it's Beckett calling, he answers with, "Another one?"<p>

"Yeah, though there's no message apparently. But it's close enough to her MO that we got a call. You feeling up to it?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I actually slept last night. What about you?"

"Other than some pretty impressive bruising, I'm ok. Your car is waiting outside your apartment. They know where to go. You might even beat the reporters this morning."

"Doubt it. I'll see you soon."

The herd of reporters is certainly thinner before dawn. So Castle gets away without incident. His escort informs him that they're heading to Astoria, Queens. They don't know anything else. So Castle tries for a little extra sleep on the way. He wakes up as the car is stopping. It looks like he's the last one to the party, because he can see local police, Shaw's team, Beckett, Ryan and Esposito. The only person missing is Lanie. But he remembers that the FBI likes to handle the autopsy themselves. He can see that the victim is a middle-aged Mediterranean man. FBI crime scene techs are already processing the scene, while everyone else waits their turn. Beckett sees him approaching and says, "Victim was shot twice in the body and once in the head. Nothing else looks the same though. We can't find a message and his name isn't Bishop. So it might be a copy-cat."

"What is his name?"

"Anthony Alfil." Seeing the look on his face, she asks, "You know him?"

"I don't think so. But _Alfil_ sounds familiar."

Shaw has heard the exchange and says something to one of her team. Within seconds they show her the information and she reads out, "The bishop's predecessor in medieval chess was the _alfil_, meaning elephant. Even today the word is Spanish for the bishop piece."

Castle says, "That'd be it, then. I must have read that somewhere."

Shaw continues, "We'll check, but I'm almost certain we'll find out that Mr. Alfil is of Spanish origin."

Beckett says, "So, not a copy-cat. But where's the message?"

Castle shrugs and says, "Maybe she figures that we don't need it written down anymore."

Shaw reasons, "I don't think so. She'll still want to play the game. It's more likely that, being on the run and injured, she's become even more cautious. I think she'll get the message to us some other way. Hopefully she'll get cocky enough to call us, and we can track her."

Castle says, "She'll probably use a satellite phone." When they look at him, he shrugs and says, "I would. They're harder to trace."

Beckett says, "Just in case she's not as smart as you, we'll prepare anyway."

Castle replies, "Ok, but I'm starting to think she's even smarter than you are…faster too."

Eyes narrowing, Beckett says, "You really want to go there, before I've even had a coffee?"

Holding up his hands in defense, Castle says, "Ok. I'll see you back at the station."

Beckett asks, "You're leaving?"

As he's walking back to the patrol car, Castle explains, "She's already been here and she's not coming back. You're not going to find any new evidence, so we're all better off going over what we've got."

He's already getting in the patrol car, when Shaw says, "He's not wrong."

With a small shrug, Beckett says, "I know. That's possibly the most annoying thing about him; the fact that he's so often right." Ryan and Esposito were smart enough to stay out of the conversation. But they're ready when Beckett says, "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Despite deliberately baiting her earlier, Castle has enough sense to have a coffee waiting for Beckett when the team returns to the station. Giving her time to drink it, he asks the guys, "So, what do we know?"<p>

Esposito begins, "Thanks to Beckett, we know that the suspect's weapon is a Ruger Mark II pistol with an integrated silencer. Though she doesn't appear to be using a scope, which means she's a good shot…which also means that she probably meant to wound Beckett."

Castle says, "Beckett; not Bishop. It wouldn't fit with the game to kill her."

Ryan says, "Well, that's good news for the rest of us anyway."

Castle says, "Except that the next victim in the game is a pawn, which could be anyone."

Ryan mouths, "Oh."

Castle asks, "What did you get from the house at Union City? Why did it go up like that?"

Ryan explains, "She'd reinforced all the doors and windows, so that only law enforcement would be able to break in. And every point of entry was booby-trapped with thermite and magnesium strips. Any attack on the house would make it almost explode into flames. So what we got is not much."

"Is it likely that she owns any other properties?"

"It's hard to tell, given that a lot of her money has gone into purchasing fake identities. But FBI thinks not, just because the money must have been nearly used up by now. They're running any Russian names that might be an alias, just in case."

Esposito says, "Oh, we did get a couple of cartridges from the scene. But they're not much use any more, since we already know what gun she's using, though it might help convict her."

Castle asks, "Do we know anything that might help us catch her?"

Ryan and Esposito stare at each other for an embarrassing length of time, before saying, "Beckett?"

"I think you're right about her leaving me alive. She could have killed me. I didn't even know she had the gun until a shot hit the ground in front of me. When I returned fire I saw her aim at me. I'd say she was aiming center mass and shooting a moving target from a moving train is the only reason she didn't hit me in the middle of the vest. So we know that she'll stick to the game plan, even if someone is shooting at her. We need to get a step ahead of her and wait."

Cruelly, Castle says, "And your plan for accomplishing that? She's had three years and over one million dollars to set this up. Even with the combined efforts of NYPD and the FBI, five people are dead and you have no idea where she is or who she'll kill next."

Visibly upset at this harsh truth, Beckett says, "Well, you're our resident chess expert. What do you suggest?"

"At the risk of sounding egotistical, this isn't really about chess, it's about me. Sasha is doing this to get my attention. We need to change the game. I think it's time for me to go."

"How is that going to make any difference?"

"Because I'm going to tell her that I'm leaving for a place that has no phone, no TV, no internet or newspapers."

"How are you going to do that?"

"By using the phone, TV, internet and newspapers."

"I'm still not seeing how this is going to help, Castle."

"She'll work out where I've gone and come after me, and you'll catch her."

"And if you're wrong and she doesn't come after you?"

Castle shrugs and says, "Then she'll keep killing, until you stop her. Same as she is now. And the only difference is that it will be more difficult for her to finish the game."

"I don't like the thought of you going off by yourself, Castle."

Shaking his head, Castle says, "Once I change the game, she's allowed to take other pieces…kill other people. So no one gets to come with me." With a grin, he adds, "I know you've become used to protecting me, but I'm not exactly helpless."

Still reluctant, Beckett says, "Can you give it 24 hours, Castle? I need to think about this."

"On the understanding that you know I'm not actually asking your permission?" At her nod, he says, "Ok; 24 hours."

It's not long before the FBI finds something. Shaw explains, "It's an online chess forum of which Castle is a member. We've been monitoring it since we found a reference to it on the wall at the South Bronx address. This morning a new member "Sasha1969" posted the message _Bxc4_._ Tell Rick he's lucky Byrne kept one knight." _Looking at Beckett, Shaw adds, "I presume you're the knight."

Beckett asks, "Any luck finding where she posted from?"

"From a cellphone outside L'Orange Bleue restaurant."

Castle says, "Across from my apartment?"

"Yes. The phone is probably already in the trash."

Beckett says, "She's saying that she's still after Castle and daring us to catch her."

Castle adds, "More than that. She's saying that she knows we have the South Bronx address. She's not going back there."

Nodding her agreement to Castle, Shaw says, "You're probably right, but we'll stay on it anyway."

* * *

><p>By the end of the day there are no new developments, despite an early morning raid on L'Orange Bleue. Yawning, Castle says, "Well, that's it for me. Presumably you'll be calling me before dawn in the morning. I'll see you tomorrow."<p>

Wary, Beckett asks, "Planning on ditching us, Castle?"

Rolling his eyes at her mistrust, he says, "If you're worried, come with me. You can join the two police officers and scores of reporters who are following my every move. I'm having dinner at the Water Club with Clair. She's already there and will leave when the crowd has dispersed. You're welcome to join us, if you don't mind your photo in the papers again."

Appeased, Beckett says, "No, that's ok. 'Night, Castle."

Including Ryan and Esposito, he says, "Goodnight."

When he's gone, Esposito asks, "Think he's lying?"

Beckett says, "You saw him today; he was quiet and cooperative, and hasn't given me a hard time since this morning. So what do you think?"

Ryan agrees, "Yeah, definitely un-Castle like."

Beckett muses out loud, "I don't think he's cruel enough or stupid enough to lie about the Shelter Island address. He's just trying to ensure no one else is in the line of fire. But we know where he's going and he won't get much of a head start. Besides, his plan only has a chance if he lets Sasha know that he's leaving. And he hasn't done that."

Esposito asks, "We're staying on him, in case he bolts?"

"I am. But it doesn't take three. You might as well get some sleep, so you can prop me up tomorrow, if it turns out I've wasted my evening."

Obviously reluctant, they nevertheless agree and bid her goodnight. After they've gone, Beckett calls Matt and lets Shaw know what's going on, before heading to the Water Club restaurant. The place is surrounded by news vans. So she knows that Castle is inside. She can see the blue and white currently assigned to protect him directly outside the front door. After parking a short distance away, she sets an alarm on her phone and gets some sleep.

Beckett wakes up with a start before the alarm. Nothing much has changed, except for a few more reporters hovering outside the restaurant. She calls Shaw and asks, "Anything?"

"No. He's still inside and no sign of our suspect. No luck with any of the security footage or news footage from near his apartment. You'd think with so many cameras on that corner, someone would have captured her image."

"She's probably changed her appearance."

"Yes, we've adjusted the APB for several different disguises. Nothing to do but wait, I'm afraid."

"Ok, thanks. Let me know if anything changes. I'll see him to his front door."

Around 10:30pm Beckett sees Castle emerge from the restaurant and dash to the patrol car. They're soon followed by several news vans. Beckett joins the convoy at a discreet distance all the way to Castle's apartment. Once there he keeps his head down and runs the gauntlet of reporters, with the aid of his escort. Despite the fact that Castle is now safe inside his building, Beckett sense of unease is growing and she calls Shaw again, saying, "I don't like…"

Shaw interrupts, "I was about to call you. He just tweeted _I finally understand why Armistead Maupin preferred the shelter of fiction. I'll be off the grid until things blow over._"

"But I just saw him go inside…Bastard! It wasn't him! I'll meet you at the chopper."

* * *

><p>Once aboard, Shaw says, "How do you know it's not him?"<p>

"It's not something that anyone would notice, unless they'd seen him before he got shot. But he has a very slight limp. The guy I followed from the restaurant must have been a body double. I wasn't close enough to tell the difference. The guy even had a bandaged arm! If Castle survives this, I'll kill him myself."

"He must have had a car waiting nearby."

"I'm afraid it's worse than that. The Water Club is only 200 meters from the 34th Street helipad. I wasn't counting on that. I thought we would beat him. But now he's got a head start."

"Lucky you had a backup plan then."

"Yeah, if he gets there in time."

* * *

><p>Sasha parks the rental car at the bottom of the hill, near the spot where Castle crashed his jeep. Still wary, she checks the Ruger yet again and adjusts the night-vision goggles before heading up the hill to the house. She makes it to the edge of the clearing surrounding the building without seeing anyone. After taking a moment to scan the grounds around the house, she flips the goggles away from her eyes to observe the well-lit interior. Castle is moving around inside a large living area, apparently alone. After once again scanning with night vision, she stows the goggles in her backpack and approaches.<p>

* * *

><p>Castle is making himself another cup of coffee when he hears the patio door sliding open. Very slowly, he spreads his arms either side of his body and says, "Hey, Sasha. I thought you'd be here sooner."<p>

"I went to the cabin first. Put your hands behind your head and turn around, Rick; slowly."

He does exactly as she says and is surprised to see that she now has very short, white-blond hair. Next he notices that the handgun now has a scope attached to it. Looking down at his chest, he can see a bright-red dot in his shirt and says, "Beckett said you were using a red dot scope."

"Only at night. It's too conspicuous during the day." Confused, she says, "You don't seem afraid. Do you think that I won't shoot?"

Castle shrugs and says, "I've no idea. I just don't think that anything I say or do will make a difference. NYPD and the FBI are already on their way. So, either way, you're not getting back to the city…unless you can swim even faster than you run." Then he grins and says, "I like the new look."

Unable to stop herself lifting a hand towards her hair, she realizes how much the movement reveals and returns a clenched fist to her side before saying, "Don't look at me like that!"

Losing the grin, Castle says, "Ok, Sasha. Take it easy." After a second he says, "So, what now? Would you like a cup of coffee? No, you prefer tea, don't you? I'm sure there's some…"

"Shut up! This isn't a social call, Rick."

Gently, he asks, "Then why are you here? If you only came here to kill me, I'd already be dead." Castle almost feels sorry her as she visibly struggles to answer this simple question and he says, "Can I at least lower my arms?"

Sasha can see that the effort of keeping his injured arm up is causing it to tremble, so she nods and says, "Just keep your hands where I can see them."

"Thank you, Sasha."

"Stop using my name, like we're friends."

"I'm sorry. But, when we were friends, that's the name you gave me. Would you prefer that I call you Alexandra?"

He can see the flash of anger in her eyes, and she growls, "Not that name either."

"It's going to make conversation difficult, but ok." After a few more seconds' standoff, Castle asks, "Have you thought of an answer yet?"

"Answer?"

"Why are you here, Sa…ma'am?" When she still says nothing, Castle says, "All right. I'm going to finish making my coffee, and boil the kettle for your tea. Then we can sit down and play while we wait for the troops to arrive."

It's only then that Sasha notices the chess board on the dining table. Still keeping her gun aimed at Castle, she moves closer to inspect the in-progress game and says, "Move 10?"

"Yes, just before Byrne made his mistake. I'm no Bobby Fischer, but I thought you might enjoy it just the same." When she doesn't argue, he walks to the kitchen counter. Sasha follows him, with the gun trained on him at all times. He notices that she's limping and nods to her leg, before asking, "Are you ok?"

Frowning, she says, "I'm fine. You need to stop talking."

He grins and says, "I get that a lot…ok, shutting up."

When his back is turned he feels the muzzle of the gun press against the back of his neck. Heart already pounding a mile-a-minute, he's now concerned that he'll actually pass out. Sasha starts checking him for weapons. When his heart keeps beating, Castle decides to push her and says, "I can't help but feel we've been here before…though you were wearing a lot less back then."

Sasha says, "Shut up!" and backhands him across the head with the Ruger.

Knocked to the floor, ears ringing and head thumping Castle nevertheless knows that he was right about her, because he's still alive. He can feel blood at the wound, but only a little. So he gets up and walks to the sink before dampening a clean tea towel and holding it to his head. When he turns to face Sasha, he sees even more reason for celebration and nods to her chest before saying, "You're wearing jewelry too."

Confused, Sasha looks down to see the red dot on her chest. She tightens her grip on the Ruger. Castle cautions, "I wouldn't make any sudden moves. If that's who I think it is, he won't miss. I'm sure you're wearing a vest. But I'm guessing he's using ammunition that will punch through it anyway."

Even more confused, Sasha says, "You didn't bring him with you?"

"No, Sasha. I wouldn't risk anyone else. It'll be Sir Beckett that arranged this."

Finally comprehending, Sasha smiles and says, "Your knight. She's a fast runner."

"Not fast enough, apparently or we wouldn't have had this chance to catch up." And then he says, "Ready to lower the gun yet?"

"I could still kill you."

"Yes, but you're not going to. Sasha, please put it down. I don't want anyone else to die."

After considering for another second, Sasha lowers the gun. Being careful to stay out of the red dot's path, Castle takes the gun from Sasha's hand and shows thumbs-up towards the direction of the unseen shooter. After flicking the safety on Castle says, "You should probably be face down on the floor when he gets here. He's ESU. They're picky about that sort of thing."

When Matt enters, rifle at the ready, Castle greets him with, "When did Beckett set this up?"

Matt cuffs Sasha, whilst explaining, "Yesterday evening she asked me if I'd help out. This evening she called and said it was time. So I swapped shifts and got here as fast as I could. Unfortunately, these roads all look the same at night. I'm not sure it would have been worth going back to the city if you were killed because I got lost. I was supposed to get here and stop her from entering the house. When I saw the car at the bottom of the hill, I thought that I'd be cleaning up a mess." Seeing the blood on Castle's head, he says, "You ok?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a lover's tap, right Sasha?"

As Matt hauls Sasha to her feet, she says, "I should never have let you speak."

* * *

><p>By the time Beckett and Shaw arrive in the chopper, Sasha is cuffed and sitting at the dining table playing chess with Castle, while Matt sips a coffee and watches over them.<p>

A little incredulous at the domestic scene, Beckett says, "Thanks, Matt."

"Wasn't me. Rick had the situation under control before I even got here and talked her into giving up the gun."

Beckett asks, "What? How?"

Castle looks up from the game to say, "I asked nicely."

Just then Sasha says, "Checkmate."

The End


End file.
